Impressionism – Taschen Art Book Review

Posted By yonghow on July 14th, 2014

Taschen’s Impressionism art book is an expansive look and study of the 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists, who style of work is broadly characterized by their loose, free flowing brushstrokes that sought to capture the essence and overall quality of the subject matter, rather than details.

At 712 pages this is book is a thick tome and is actually a priced down re-release of a costly 2 volume collection. The contents are the same although the physical size of the book has been slightly reduced, but the images presented are still large enough for great appreciation.

(above right) Claude Monet’s “Impressionist, Sunrise”, from which the name of the art movement was coined. During my Paris trip I scrutinized the painting up-close and found the reflections of the sun on the surface of the water were achieved by nothing more than a series of deft, well placed daubs of orange paint, but it manages to capture the essence of the moment spectacularly.

(above & below) The 2nd part of the book features Impressionism works outside of France. Most of the pieces are completely new to me and it is thrilling to discover so many more amazing pieces of art work.

A primer for anyone interested in the Impressionist movement – the enormous volume of beautiful art work featured can keep one enthralled for days on end. My highest recommendations.